2019 SBC Annual Meeting in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- As if a rousing two-hour Sunday worship service was not enough, the Southern Baptist Evangelists fellowship added a two-hour sing-along Monday afternoon as part of their gathering in conjunction with the 2019 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. The June 9 worship service took place at McElwain Baptist Church in Birmingham; the sing-along was June 10 in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Donna Gaines was honored with the 2019 Willie Turner Dawson Award during the June 11 Ministers' Wives Luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. In presenting the award to Gaines, wife of Bellevue Baptist Church senior pastor Steve Gaines, Mary Cox described what the award represents: "It's about a woman who has godly character, who has served the Lord alongside her husband, and has been a great example as a minister's wife." Cox is the wife of Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Nearly 800 ministers' wives benefited from the quick thinking -- and prayer -- of this year's Ministers' Wives Luncheon president, Kim Hamm, and her team of officers. Just the day before, they were confronted with the news that, due to unforeseen circumstances, their planned speaker, Lauren Chandler, would not be present. Chandler is the wife of Matt Chandler, lead pastor at The Village Church in Dallas.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Women from all across the Southern Baptist Convention were urged to meet the challenges of leadership and ministry with patience and confidence at the newly inaugurated SBC Women's Session, held June 10 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The speakers for the three-hour event, which replaced the former Pastors' Wives Conference to include a broader spectrum of women in attendance, featured Norine Brunson, wife of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor released last fall from imprisonment in Turkey, and Lori McDaniel, outgoing manager of church initiatives in mobilization at the International Mission Board. A panel discussion on women's leadership and discipleship was moderated by Kathy Litton and included Kandi Gallaty, Amy Whitfield, Missie Branch, and Ashlyn Portero.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Sociology professor, researcher and author George Yancey always steps back when he knocks on a door. A 6-foot-3-inch African American, he says his appearance strikes societal fear. Seminary assistant dean and director Missie Branch says she also encounters difficulties because she is an African American woman. She says she's either overlooked or viewed through stereotypes "which results in fear where everything I do and say or wear is a big deal."

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Women have indispensable roles in the Southern Baptist Convention and in the church, said panelists during the "Indispensable partners: the value of women in God's mission" panel discussion during the 2019 SBC Annual Meeting in Birmingham, Ala. Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear, who moderated the discussion on June 12, began by asking the women on the panel about their initial response to the Sexual Abuse Advisory Study report that preceded their time on stage. See related Baptist Press story.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty" -- that was Ken Whitten's closing statement and the overall theme of the Gospel Above All panel Wednesday morning (June 12) at the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The panel was one of three during the meeting in Birmingham, Ala., "designed to spotlight some conversations already taking place," SBC President J.D. Greear said. Other panels addressed racial reconciliation and the value of women in God's mission.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- WMU Executive Director Sandy Wisdom-Martin welcomed the Southern Baptist Convention June 12 to Birmingham, Ala., where the national missions organization is headquartered. "This has been our home for the past 98 years, but for the entire history of our organization, we've stayed focused on our assigned task," Wisdom-Martin said. "Our mandate is making disciples of Jesus who live on mission. This is what we do."

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- GuideStone Financial Resources is experiencing one of its best years ever across all areas of the ministry, including retirement, insurance, investments, Mission:Dignity and property and casualty, President O.S. Hawkins told Southern Baptist Convention messengers June 11. In the entity's first report of its second century, Hawkins noted that GuideStone continues to focus on serving participants and Southern Baptist churches.